Is There an “Atlanta County”? Understanding Atlanta’s County Setup

If you live in or are moving to Atlanta, Georgia, you may hear people say “Atlanta County” when they’re talking about government offices, courts, taxes, or schools.
But there’s an important detail:

Atlanta is a city, not a county. It sits mainly in Fulton County, with part of it in DeKalb County. Understanding this split is key to figuring out which offices, services, and rules apply to you.

This guide walks you through how “Atlanta County” actually breaks down in real life for residents and visitors.

Atlanta Is a City, Not a County

In Georgia, cities and counties are separate layers of government.

• City of Atlanta: Handles city services like local police (Atlanta Police Department), zoning, certain utilities, and city ordinances.
• County governments (Fulton and DeKalb for most Atlantans): Handle things like property taxes, courts, most public schools, and some health and social services.

When people casually say “Atlanta County”, they’re almost always referring to:

• The county level government that serves their part of Atlanta (Fulton or DeKalb), or
• “Greater Atlanta” as a region, not as a single county.

Which County Is the City of Atlanta In?

Atlanta is mostly in Fulton County, but not entirely.

Primary counties for Atlanta residents

1. Fulton County (majority of Atlanta)
Most Atlanta addresses fall here, especially:

• Downtown Atlanta
• Midtown
• Buckhead
• Westside neighborhoods
• Much of Southwest and Northwest Atlanta

Key Fulton County government locations in Atlanta:

• Fulton County Government Center
  141 Pryor St SW
  Atlanta, GA 30303
• ** Fulton County Tax Commissioner (Main Office)**
  141 Pryor St SW, Suite 1085
  Atlanta, GA 30303
• Fulton County Courthouse (Superior & State Courts)
  136 Pryor St SW
  Atlanta, GA 30303

2. DeKalb County (eastern part of Atlanta)
Some neighborhoods in the eastern part of the City of Atlanta are in DeKalb County, including areas near East Atlanta, Kirkwood, and parts of Candler Park and Edgewood.

Key DeKalb County government locations serving Atlanta-area residents:

• DeKalb County Government Administration Building
  1300 Commerce Dr
  Decatur, GA 30030
• DeKalb County Tax Commissioner
  4380 Memorial Dr
  Decatur, GA 30032

Even if your mailing address says “Atlanta, GA”, your county might be Fulton, DeKalb, or even another neighboring county for areas outside city limits.

How to Tell Which County Your Atlanta Address Is In

If you’re unsure whether you live in “Atlanta, Fulton County” or “Atlanta, DeKalb County,” you’re not alone.

Here are practical ways to check:

• ✅ Look at your property tax bill
  It will say Fulton County or DeKalb County (or another county if you’re outside city limits with an Atlanta mailing address).

• ✅ Use county property search tools
  County tax assessor or property appraiser lookup tools typically tell you:

  • County
  • Jurisdiction (e.g., “City of Atlanta”)

• ✅ Check voter registration information
  Your voter registration record will list your county of residence.

• ✅ Ask when setting up utilities or services
  Utility representatives often verify your county to assign correct rates and service areas.

Knowing your county matters for things like:

• Where to vote
• How much property tax you pay
• Which court you must go to
• Which school system applies to your address

“Atlanta County” vs. Metro Atlanta: What People Usually Mean

Many people use “Atlanta County” when they actually mean:

• “City of Atlanta”
• “Fulton County”
• “Greater Atlanta” or “Metro Atlanta” – the broader region around Atlanta, which includes several counties.

Major counties in the Metro Atlanta region

These are some of the main counties that make up the Atlanta metropolitan area:

When employers, landlords, or services ask whether you’re “in Atlanta,” they may actually need to know your county, because that affects taxes, schools, and jurisdiction.

Common Situations Where “Atlanta County” Causes Confusion

Here’s how the city–county split plays out for real-world tasks in Atlanta.

1. Paying property taxes

If you own a home or commercial property in Atlanta:

• The county tax commissioner handles most property taxes.
• The City of Atlanta may also have its own city tax portion.

So instead of sending a payment to “Atlanta County Tax Office,” you pay:

• Fulton County Tax Commissioner or
• DeKalb County Tax Commissioner, depending on your property’s county.

If you’re unsure:

• Check your most recent property tax bill.
• Contact the tax office listed there to confirm the correct county.

2. Voting and elections

When it’s time to vote, your county elections office runs the polling locations and ballot.

For City of Atlanta residents, that’s usually:

• Fulton County Department of Registration & Elections
  141 Pryor St SW, Suite 4075
  Atlanta, GA 30303

or, if you’re in the DeKalb portion of Atlanta:

• DeKalb County Voter Registration & Elections
  4380 Memorial Dr, Suite 300
  Decatur, GA 30032

If someone tells you to “call Atlanta County elections,” they almost always mean your county elections office in Fulton or DeKalb.

3. Court cases, tickets, and records

Courts in the Atlanta area are structured by county and city:

• Fulton County courts (for most city residents)
  • Superior, State, Magistrate, and Probate Courts all have offices in downtown Atlanta.
• DeKalb County courts
  • Located mainly in Decatur, serving DeKalb residents including those in Atlanta’s DeKalb neighborhoods.
• Atlanta Municipal Court
  • Handles many city-level matters like certain traffic offenses and city ordinance violations within city limits.

If paperwork mentions “Atlanta County Court,” it’s almost certainly referring to either:

• Fulton County Court (if your case is in Fulton),
• DeKalb County Court, or
• Atlanta Municipal Court, depending on the type of case.

For traffic tickets or city citations, always check:

• The name of the court
• The address listed on your ticket or notice

4. Schools and “Atlanta County Schools”

Families often ask about:

Again, that district does not exist. Inside and around Atlanta, school systems are usually:

• Atlanta Public Schools (APS) – for most addresses inside City of Atlanta boundaries, in both Fulton and DeKalb portions of the city.
• Fulton County Schools – for Fulton County areas outside the City of Atlanta (like Sandy Springs, Johns Creek, parts of South Fulton).
• DeKalb County School District – for DeKalb County areas outside APS zones.
• Surrounding districts like Cobb County School District, Gwinnett County Public Schools, Clayton County Public Schools, etc., for suburbs.

If you’re trying to figure out school zoning:

1. Confirm your street address and county.
2. Use the appropriate district zoning tools or call the district office to confirm.

5. Business licenses and permits

If you’re starting a business in Atlanta, your paperwork might involve:

• City of Atlanta – for city business licenses, zoning approval, and some permits.
• Fulton County or DeKalb County – for certain health, building, or environmental permits, depending on where your business is located.

Some businesses in the Atlanta area may list:

• “Atlanta, GA” as their mailing address
• But be physically located in unincorporated Fulton, unincorporated DeKalb, or even another county like Cobb or Gwinnett.

When in doubt, verify:

• The city/municipality (City of Atlanta, City of Sandy Springs, etc.)
• The county (Fulton, DeKalb, etc.)

Both can affect regulatory requirements.

How Visitors Should Think About “Atlanta County”

If you’re visiting Atlanta, most county issues won’t affect you directly, but this breakdown can still help:

• If you’re staying Downtown, Midtown, or Buckhead, you’re almost certainly in Fulton County.
• If you’re in neighborhoods like East Atlanta or Kirkwood, you may be in DeKalb County even though your address says “Atlanta.”

This can matter if you need:

• To locate the correct courthouse for a traffic ticket
• To find the sheriff’s office or jail where someone is being held
• To understand which jurisdiction a particular incident falls under

Quick Reference: City of Atlanta vs. Counties

Here’s a simple way to keep it straight:

• There is no “Atlanta County.”
• Atlanta = a city
• Fulton & DeKalb = main counties containing the City of Atlanta
• Other nearby counties (Cobb, Gwinnett, Clayton, Henry, etc.) make up Metro Atlanta, but are separate from the City of Atlanta.

If you have an Atlanta address, always ask:

1. Am I inside the City of Atlanta limits?
2. Which county is my address in? (Fulton, DeKalb, or another nearby county)

Those two answers will guide you to the right offices, taxes, schools, courts, and services—no “Atlanta County” required.